


Poki'i

by trinaest



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-03-18
Updated: 2011-03-18
Packaged: 2017-10-17 03:05:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 719
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/172249
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/trinaest/pseuds/trinaest
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kono had Chin wrapped around her finger from the moment he first saw her.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Poki'i

**Author's Note:**

> From a prompt on Celli's Hawaii Five-0 Ficlet-a-thon. The prompt: "Chin and Kono, growing up. A slice of island life through the eyes of Chin and Kono." I'm not sure I quite got the "slice of island life," but it's definitely about Chin and Kono growing up.
> 
> Thanks to my awesome friends for encouraging me to keep writing writing writing. Special thanks to Caro for looking this over for me. :)
> 
> Note: I know nothing of surfing as a sport or how competitions work or anything--every detail mentioned here springs from my imagination! :D

Kono's earliest memories all revolve around Chin. It isn't too surprising, really. Although they were part of a typically large Hawaiian family, they were both--atypically--only children. For Chin, it was love at first sight. The squalling baby girl just reached in and stole his heart before he knew what hit him. He would do anything for Kono, and she knew it.

_Kono is on the beach, playing in the sand and watching the surfers. "I'll be out there someday," she thinks. When she sees Chin move to take a wave she jumps to her feet, watching intensely. Mostly it's the thrill of it that makes her watch. Chin has promised that he'll start teaching her soon. But also--though she's smart enough not to tell him--she is the tiniest bit afraid. She's only five years old, but she's been out here with Chin since her parents decided she was big enough and Chin was responsible enough to take care of her (and there was always another cousin or uncle--or sometimes aunt--around to watch her while Chin spent some time among the waves). She knows about the danger, she's seen people get hurt._

_She smiles, bright as the sun, when she sees Chin come safely out of the surf after his graceful, yet thrilling, ride._

_"Yeah, someday, that will be me."_

Chin had never seen such determination in someone so young. His baby cousin was downright fierce, and he couldn't be more proud of her than he was now. He sat--not in the stands, but down on the beach like he always had--watching the competitors take turns out in the surf. By Hawaii standards, these were not the biggest waves ever--but they were still bigger than anything he usually attempted. Kono had taken to the surfboard like it had been attached at birth. Like she'd always known how to ride, understood the waves like no one else he knew. Ten years later, and here she was, competing for a contract with one of the teams.

At fifteen, she was beautiful--if unaware of it--and the only thing she cared about was surfing. Boys couldn't compete, and she barely spared them a glance while they stumbled all over themselves trying to get her attention. Her eyes were on the waves, always. Chin laughed and shook his head every time he watched her elbow a boy out of her way with a scowl. She simply could not be bothered.

Now, it looked like Kono was getting ready to take her turn. His practiced eye could see that the wave she'd chosen was going to be a good one. She made her move and the next moment she was up, ducking through the spray, pressing forward, utterly owning the wave.

Chin recognized her triumphant expression at about the same moment that he let out the breath he hadn't known he was holding. No matter how many times he watched her do it, he didn't think he'd ever get over the fear that something was going to happen out there, where he couldn't do a thing about it. Not that he'd ever tell her that.

She cruised right up into the surf and jumped off her board, leaning to grab it before running straight to Chin. She set the board down behind him and plopped down on the sand next to him. She leaned to bump her wet shoulder against his and he smiled. "Way to go, cuz."

She grinned at him, then turned her attention back to the waves.

A short while later, after each contestant had had a turn, the announcement came:

"The newest member of the Coral Prince Surf Team will be... Kono Kalakaua!"

Chin watched her expression quickly change from hopeful to stunned, and then to joyful and triumphant. They both leaped to their feet and, before she could get mobbed by everyone coming to congratulate her, she turned and threw her arms around Chin. "Thank you, cuz. This is all thanks to you."

He squeezed her back, but had to contradict her. "No way. You were made for this, _poki’i_. I am so proud of you."

Chin let her go and she gave him one of her sunny smiles before turning to accept the congratulations from friends and strangers alike.

**Author's Note:**

>  _pō.kiʻi_ n.  
>  1\. Younger brother or sister or closely related younger cousin, often spoken affectionately


End file.
